


Mother Knows Best

by ladyshenzuki



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-01-26 13:21:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12558284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyshenzuki/pseuds/ladyshenzuki
Summary: High profile lawyer, Sesshomaru, decides to uncover the mystery behind his secretary, Rin's, tragic and sorrowful past. Their journey is filled with unexpected adventure and excitement especially when a certain Lady Mother is thrown into the mix. ***Work is NOT COMPLETE. Not sure how to change the symbol***





	1. Chapter 1

It occurred to Jaken, as it normally did when the eccentric Lady Taisho was in her usual brooding state, that his mistress was sulking for longer than normal. Or, at the very least, longer than what the household considered to be her usual brooding time, which was anywhere from an hour to a week.

At the outset, the servants had merely ignored her black mood and the dark aura that swirled relentlessly around her lithe frame, thinking that it would pass as it normally did when she decided to forgive whoever it was that had peeved her.

But by the eleventh day, the tiny cloud had morphed into a behemoth of despair, hovering dangerously around the entire estate. This only meant one thing: the lady's plans were not going as planned.

Maids, kitchen staff, attendants and gardeners were all in a state of alarm. And, fear. No one dared to approach her lest they welcome the bittersweet embrace of death. Oh, she hadn't said anything. At least not yet. And, she hadn't killed anyone... at least not yet.

All cowered and feared. All except Jaken.

 _The lady's dejected state will not sit well with the young Lord Sesshomaru, if he finds out that we haven't been lively company for the matron of Taisho household._ Jaken reasoned with himself.

And so - in fear of being reprimanded by his former master, Jaken headed out to the kitchens to fetch the Lady tea and biscuits in hopes of brightening her mood.

"Master Jaken, are you absolutely sure about this?" Mara - the kitchen maid - asked again, looking at the toad demon with wide sympathetic eyes. Her friend Jack - the gardener - mimicked her actions. "The Lady is giving off some serious vibes and they're not good ones."

Fixing his tie and lifting his chin, Jaken snorted with pride as he picked up the tea tray.

"Positive! All the lady needs is some good company and her favorite hot tea and she'll be all smiles before we can say Meido Zangetsuha."

Unconvinced that the kappa's company would change the lady's sour mood, the maid and the gardener exchanged worried glances. Despite the toad's sunny outlook, he wasn't the Lady's preferred company. Or at the very least, he hadn't been ever since a certain brown eyed girl had won the lady's favor.

"But Master Jaken-" Mara and Jack rushed to the kitchen's exit and blocked Jaken's path; earning a scowl from the now annoyed toad demon. "Do you recall, the one time that she acted this way? When she was all out of sorts and carrying on like a child. Almost as though she'd lost her favorite play toy."

"Toy?" Jaken muttered; skeptically studying the wide-eyed maid and her companion. "What on Earth are you two on about?"

"You see..." the maid hesitated and the gardener also averted his eyes to some random object on the wall. Jaken's eyes narrowed further, partially in annoyance but mostly in impatience.

"Well, out with it then. I haven't got all day!" Jaken ordered but it only seemed to rouse the maid's discomfort.

With an irritable groan, Jaken was about to walk through the gap in their legs when-

"We think it's that _girl's_ company the lady desires!" The maid shouted out loud.

Jaken stopped dead in his tracks and a sudden realization dawned on his face. "Ah, you mean her..."

Both maid and gardener nodded. "Jack and I believe it's _that_ girl's company the lady misses. Oh, don't you remember how happy Lady Taisho had been last summer? I swear the only other time I had seen the lady so happy was when Lord Sesshomaru was born! She was all smiles and so lively with everyone."

"How can I forget?" Jaken's said in a contemplative mood. "Lord Sesshomaru was such a cheerful child. The estate was always bubbling with laughter and joy in those days. It's a pity that life turned out the way it did for both mother and son... Oh, but you two are right. The house had been too dull and boring before that little sprite came into our home and made her way into all our hearts not just the lady's." Jaken added thoughtfully, remembering how she had nursed him back to health after that awful insect bite that had almost claimed his life.

"It's settled then." Jaken said in a decisive tone.

Mara and Jack exchanged curious glances. "What do you mean, Master Jaken?"

"We'll just have to arrange for Rin to spend another summer at the Estate." Jaken said smugly as he strode out the kitchen and up the staircase, his tail coat flapping slightly in an invisible wind.

 

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"Could you please just read it once over and hand it to Rin?" Kagome spoke faster than she normally did, piling papers on his desk in a rush. "I've been training her for over a month and she knows the whole routine: what to bill the client and where to mail it."

Sesshomaru felt the beginnings of a long, hard headache.

In the few years he had known Kagome, he found her to be more annoying than the average female. Annoying personality notwithstanding, he hadn't been happy to hear that she was giving up her current position to work for none other than his half-brother (her mate).

Kagome was punctual, a stickler for details and an excellent worker who did wonders with numbers. Sesshomaru liked numbers and so he had grown to tolerate his soon to be ex-assistant. One doesn't become senior partner to the most prestigious law firm in Japan without knowing his math. There were no variables in his life just cold hard numbers and he was a creature of that reliable routine.

This new girl _Rin_ , however, he was not so sure about.

"You mean the new girl?" Sesshomaru couldn't help the scathing tone.

Rin had all the qualities that were ill-suited for an employee of Taisho and Ookami. She was timid, constantly nervous, far too introverted, and awful with numbers. To top it off, the girl always dressed as though she shopped at a thrift store, despite being paid handsomely for working in the mailroom.

Her quiet and docile personality got under his skin and the one time he had lost his cool with her, she seemed to only recede further into her shell. Even his ex-wife didn't have what it took to annoy him to the point that he wanted to transform into the inuyoukai he was and bite her head off.

He prefered strong women who stood up for what they believed in and spoke their mind. A person who kept all to themselves always meant they had something to hide... such as, a shady background for doing jail time for gambling? Oh, if it was up to him he would never had looked twice in her direction but it was at his mother's behest that she was employed at his firm. Her gambling habits landed her with unusually large debt that had recently been paid off courtesy of his mother's undying generosity to all except himself.

Sesshomaru was not a forgiving person, which meant mistakes were simply not acceptable. However, since Rin's employment had come on _unusual_ terms, his hands were tied. Despite Kagome's reassurance that Rin had improved during the past six months, her redundancy was the reason why Sesshomaru was so hesitant in giving her more responsibility.

The girl was definitely not suited for his firm or his dependable lifestyle.

Kagome animatedly rolled her eyes. "Oh for heaven's sake, Sesshomaru. Rin has been working with us for over six months now; she's hardly _new_. She covered for me for my wedding, remember?"

"How can I forget? Billing was a mess, we lost two major clients and a business proposal and-" Sesshomaru made a point to put his hand over his accounts statement, "the _numbers_ didn't add up."

Throwing her hands in the air, Kagome shook her head. "Billing has been messy ever since Naraku was appointed head controller, and that was before Rin was hired. The numbers haven't added up since your separation and as for those two clients, they were bad news, Sesshomaru. They were in direct conflict with our biggest client and you may have lost one business proposal that day but you gained two more instead all thanks to Rin. Can't you even see that she's trying her best?"

"I don't believe in trying, Kagome. Either you commit or you don't." Reaching for his coffee, he gulped it down in one shot. He hated coffee but enjoyed the bitter taste it left behind.

"Well, maybe if you told her that you appreciate her work then _maybe_ she would work harder? Come on, Sesshomaru. I remember the good old days when you used to encourage employees and push them to their full potential. Whatever happened to that man?"

"I am no longer that man. However, I can encourage her to walk out the exit instead." Sesshomaru clipped; harsher than he should have. He didn't want to remember the fool he had been when he and Kagura were together.

"Okay, so I get you don't like her but she's the only one I've trained and seeing as how I'm leaving in the next half an hour, you really don't have a choice. Like it or not you're stuck with her."

Sesshomaru groaned but he was certain it sounded more like a painful grunt. Rin was not someone he was looking forward to working with.

Lacing his fingers on the table and tapping the tips of his thumbs, Sesshomaru reconsidered.

With Kagome heading over to Inuyasha's firm, he had no choice but to stomach Rin's presence for the mean time. It would be a matter of time before he found a more _appropriate_ replacement for Kagome.

"Seeing as how you leave me no choice... I suppose Rin will have to do."

"Perfect!" Kagome exclaimed, and sprang up from her chair. "Rin will be so happy to hear the good news! You've found yourself an excellent assistant, Sesshomaru. You won't regret it!" the girl called in merriment before shutting the door closed behind her.

Just as Sesshomaru was about to reach into his desk and pull out the the list of possible replacements, an e-mail popped up on his screen with red, all capital letters in the subject that read 'LADY TAISHO NOT WELL. CALL NOW.'

Without batting a lash, Sesshomaru reached for his cell phone and dialed the number to his mother's estate..

 

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"I'm going to miss you, Kagome." Rin said with a sad smile, after giving her only friend in the firm a big hug.

At first, the office staff were pleasant enough until she explained that it was because of Lady Taisho that she was working at the firm. It was immediate - the harsh look in their judgemental eyes and the fake yet sweet smiles on their faces when they jokingly asked if she actually meant that she had slept with Sesshomaru Taisho to get the job.

If she felt a bit out of place working in the most renowned law firms in all of Japan with employees who were star graduates from the esteemed Keio University, she definitely kept to herself after that. That also meant keeping her distance from Sesshomaru Taisho. He shouldn’t have to suffer from petty gossip just because she was.

It was Kagome who had later explained that Lady Taisho was far more cut throat and ruthless than her only son and that she never did favors for anyone. In fact, she refused to refer even her personally trained students, wanting them to set their own roots in the world.

Odd that Lady Taisho would only show her kindness.

Last summer when she had been handing out flyers to large estates promoting the small sewing shop she worked at, she saw the beautiful lady looking forlorn, leaning against her doorway. Upon inquiry, it turned out that her gown had been ruined and she had nothing to wear to an important soiree. Rin had taken it upon herself to help the lady, who was genuinely nice with a sunny personality. Over the summer, a beautiful friendship had blossomed between the two. Rin confided many aspects of her life to the lovely lady and in return learned that the lady was lonely and very sad so Rin visited her as much as she could. Towards the end of the summer, the lady had been so kind as to offer her a job in her law firm and Rin had been overjoyed. She had also agreed to pay off a large debt that had resulted because of making bad choices after her mother passed away. Rin had disagreed but the lady had been very convincing and made a pact to be paid back in a small percentage every pay day.

After Rin finished telling the story, Kagome was left gaping for moments before she advised her not to share these personal details with the rest of the staff. No one had ever been able to look in the direction of the lovely but dangerous Lady Taisho much less befriend her and staff would only get more jealous if they found out that Rin was on good standing with the founding member of Taisho and Ookami.

Trusting Kagome's advice, Rin bore the grunt of menacing jokes about how easily she had secured a position so many worked so hard to obtain. So she mostly kept to herself and occasionally hung out with Kagome.

"Aw, you'll still keep in touch though, right?" Kagome returned the hug with a smile of her own and got back to placing her few belongings in a cardboard box after Rin nodded. "Don't get too caught up in work, you hear? And, be sure to hand in your vacation time soon. Sesshomaru is a tough boss but he's fair."

"Yeah, about that," Rin chewed on her lower lip nervously before leaning against Kagome's desk. "I don't think it's a good idea for me to take your place, Kagome. Half the staff already think I slept with Sesshomaru to get this job. I'll never hear the end of it when they find out I took over your position."

Kagome quirked a brow. "You are right that things will only get more difficult for you once the rest of the firm finds out you're Sesshomaru's new assistant but just think of all the positive that will come out of it, right? It's a new opportunity, Rin, and you deserve it more than anyone."

Rin shrugged and watched as Kagome continued to place her belongings into another box.

"In a different situation I would have welcomed the opportunity, but..."

"But?" Kagome asked, keeping her eyes glued to the box.

"Oh, come on, Kagome! You know how much Sesshomaru hates me. He thinks I have no social skills and I'll never be good enough for his firm."

"What makes you say that?" Kagome responded, still not making eye contact.

"Kagome." Rin stared pointedly at her friend. "His exact words were: You have absolutely no social skills and you'll never be good enough for my firm. Argh, I wish I could have told him to stick his head in his ass because I was sick of looking at it but I sucked it up because I need the money. I wish I could just stay in the mailroom and not deal with the rest of the staff and most especially _him_."

Kagome sighed in exasperation. It didn't help her case that Rin was as uninterested in taking the position as Sesshomaru was in hiring her. "Listen to me, Rin. This is your chance to get off your feet and make something of your life. With your new position - and new raise - you'll be able to get a car, enroll in that seamstress course you talk about all the time or move out of that dingy place you call an apartment and buy a proper condo in a decent community. Maybe we can be neighbours, huh?"

"With Sesshomaru as my boss, I don't think I'll last in this position for very long." Rin replied worriedly. "It's so hard to believe that Lady Taisho is such a sweet lady and her son is the slave lord from hell!"

"Personally, Rin, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the ‘sweet Lady Taisho’! I've never seen her myself but from what I hear mother and son are like duplicates."

"I beg to differ; they are not the same person." Rin clarified. Kagome groaned.

"Yeah, sure. Argh, my hands are full." Kagome muttered and looked from one box to the next, deciding which one to carry.

"Let me help." Rin offered and picked up a box to keep her hands busy and distract her thoughts from how miserable it would be to work under Sesshomaru Taisho.

"Thanks, babe!" Kagome responded. Shortly after both head towards the elevator.

Rin didn't have to look in Kagome's direction to know she was staring at her.

"Oh, cheer up will you? You're getting a position that most people in this firm only dream of getting. Yeah, Sesshomaru is a bit rough around the edges but you would be too if you were the senior partner of a multi-million dollar law firm. You grow a thick skin and you deal, Rin. If anything, just think about how good this job will look on your resume."

"Yeah, I guess..." Rin shrugged.

"Anyway, think about how much fun it would be to tell your old friends about your new job! What about Kohaku? Do you still keep in touch with him?" Kagome asked; she often brought up Kohaku to not too subtly change the topic.

"Nah. I haven’t spoken with him in months. I’d like to keep it that way." Rin clarified. There were days when she wished she had a ‘normal’ life like others her age. Being busy with college life, complaining about paying bills or getting a part-time job or falling in love. Instead, her life had taken a very different direction.

A direction where both her father and mother had both died when she had graduated from high school. A direction where she had to resort to one of Kohaku's schemes to save her land and her house only to fall into an ocean of debt that left her working more hours than she slept. A direction that could have left her in a penitentiary had it not been for Lady Taisho's generosity.

"Good." Kagome responded and pressed the down button on the elevator. "Once I step out of this firm, I no longer work here but don't be afraid to give me shout if you ever need _anything_. Work related or not, okay?"

"Thanks, Kagome." Rin responded as positively as she could. Kagome was right; this was a chance for her to rebuild her life and there were bound to be hurdles along the way. Heck, if she could spend one night in the penitentiary, how difficult would it be to work for Sesshomaru Taisho?

"RIN!" Instantly, Rin's body tensed at the familiar thunderous voice that echoed through the far end of the hall and right into her bones.

 _Speak of the devil._ Rin groaned.

"In my office - NOW!" Sesshomaru sounded right pissed. She didn't need to turn around and look into what she assumed were his monstrous angry eyes (they were burning holes through her sweater) to know how annoyed he was.

"Are you sure no one else can work for that madman?" Rin mumbled worriedly.

Throwing the box in her arms roughly in the elevator, Kagome snatched the other one from Rin's hold.

"Sorry, babe. You're stuck with him. Now, go!" Kagome motioned towards Sesshomaru's office while the rest of the staff peeked from behind their cubicles.

"Wish me luck." Rin said and watched Kagome give her a thumbs up as the elevator doors shut closed.

The short walk down the hall to Sesshomaru Taisho's office felt like a mile long trek.

Reaching the door, Rin breathed in deeply a few times before gathering the courage to place her hand on the knob.

 

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**Review?**

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	2. Chapter 2

Some subtle changes in this chapter. More in the next.

The dreadfully awkward silence in the room tugged at Rin's nerves furiously. It had occurred to her that perhaps she should say something to break the ice. The last time she had questioned him, it hadn't ended well. Rin cringed at the memory.

"...You'll never be good enough for my company! "

Ever since that day, she avoided Sesshomaru to the best of her ability. Perhaps she was a masochist for what she was about to do.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Taisho? You sounded very upset a moment ago." Rin broke the silence albeit hesitantly.

"Indeed, Ms. Takahashi." Sesshomaru responded as curtly as she considered normal. He was sitting on the other end of the table, boring holes through her skull with his electric gaze. His brows were furrowed and he was wearing a deep frown on his face as though her presence disgusted him.

Keep calm, Rin. She reminded herself, unable to meet his gaze.

"I hadn't given you credit enough for being so perceptive." Sesshomaru's words were sharp and curt, and Rin mustered strength to met his eyes steadily.

"My mother has taken ill and it does not seem as though she will feel any better in the weeks that follow. She's refusing specialized care and instead chooses the comfort of your company. So, my purpose in calling you here today is to request that you join me in paying my mother a visit."

"Lady Taisho?" Rin said and her mind raced with worry. "If you don't mind me asking Sir, what exactly has happened?"

More uncomfortable silence ensued. For a brief moment, the hard gaze set upon his face faltered and his eyes softened as he shifted his eyes to an invisible spot on the desk.

"I'm not entirely sure..." He let his words trail. Quickly after, the mask was back. Sesshomaru Taisho dipped his head just slightly and stared at her like a predator about to jump its prey.

"You see, despite my mother's refusal for professional medical care, I have employed the best physicians to care for her and bring her back into good health. What I need from you is an answer. Are you joining me or not?" Sesshomaru clipped harshly and cleared his desk so that there was nothing between him and her except the hardwood table.

Never one to think think on her feet, Rin fussed with the banded hem of her long sweater. Her mind swam with questions such as what had happened to Lady Taisho? Why was she denying professional help? It must be something serious, she concluded, for Sesshomaru to have employed a medical team for the lady. In her heart, she had already decided to pay her respects to the lady but the other worry that racked her mind was whether or not she could deal with Sesshomaru Taisho while she was there? He already seemed not so fond of her-

"I'm a busy man, Ms. Takahashi. Your answer, please."

Rin faced her employer and held back a groan. The feeling was mutual: she wasn't fond of him either. He was overbearing, domineering, intolerable and didn't hide the fact that he got a kick out of pushing her into a corner. So what was her answer? What was she going to do?

"I would be happy to join you." Rin answered. Her decision was made over her strong fondness for the generous Lady Taisho; she would deal with Sesshomaru in strides, as she did in the office.

"Good." Sesshomaru responded, and faced his computer screen. "I look forward to what you can offer in the place of specialized medical care and highly qualified physicians when you can't even balance a simple account."

The girl's body visibly tensed and her nostrils flared slightly but she said nothing. Even the densest of rocks crumbled under the bite of his sharp tongue and yet why did it bother him to no end that this one girl refused to be shaken?

A dark voice constantly nagged him to reveal the true Rin Takahashi.

This meek, demure facade is all a game...

There was nothing unique about her appearance, nothing that would set her apart from most women he'd seen in his lifetime. Yet, there was something hidden behind those unusually large reading glasses, the oversized, overused sweater and extra-long hobo skirt that he desperately wanted to uncover...

Sesshomaru Taisho blamed his inquisitive mind and his addiction to unearthing hidden secrets. After all, he didn't get to where he was by simply analyzing the facts; his nature to find answers fed his appetite and he reveled in the satisfaction that came with it.

Concern for his mother's health was not the only reason he was looking forward to the trip. There was a certain case that needed a more hands on approach and he was itching to get back into the groove of doing real detective work as he had in his younger years.

"Do you need them for reading?" Sesshomaru inquired. Not entirely convinced that was the reason she wore them.

The girl blinked in surprise and nervously adjusted the glasses on her nose. "Of course."

"And, the overly large sweater?"Sesshomaru questioned, never once taking his eyes off her face.

She blinked several times and her frame went stiff like a rock. Her voice was smooth but he felt a bitter undertone in her words. "The mailroom is colder than the rest of the building, sir."

"I see..." Sesshomaru glared. "Stand up."

"I-I'm sorry." The girl responded, clearly surprised by his odd request, and slouched into her oversized sweater.

"Don't worry, Ms. Takahashi. Your respect remains intact with me. Now, please, if you will."

With a small frown and disapproving eyes, she stared at him for a good long while. Before nodding and slowly lifting herself up from the chair.

"Why are you slouching? Stand straight as though you have some pride. Shoulders back. Chest out. Stomach in. You know the drill."

A heavy intake of breath later, she squared her shoulders and put her arms by her sides; her small hands were fisted tightly.

Sesshomaru's mind went to work. Unlike Kagura's short, clean cut bob, the girl had long black hair, roughly tied in a messy bun that was neither appealing nor functional. Not only were her clothes far too big on her small frame, seams were coming off the edges and her shoes were nightmarishly overused with their soles worn dangerously thin.

There was not a single blemish or scratch on her face or neck; instead her skin was supple and appeared untouched.

While there was an air of mystery around the girl and after a close inspection of her features he concluded that she wasn't ugly. With proper fitting clothes and a quick makeover, she would be very pleasant to the eye.

Why was she hiding?

Thinking back on the few times he had lost his cool with her, she had been quick to run and hide from him. Did she think him to be a monster? If that's what she thought, he would play the role more aptly. Here in this room, there was no escaping him or his watchful gaze. Releasing a long breath, Sesshomaru finally faced Rin.

An unspoken fire flashed in her eyes and yet she continued the litany of silence. Her strangeness fed his skepticism.

"Mr. Taisho," The girl eventually spoke shakily with an edge. "I'm afraid I don't understand-"

"You will meet with Master Jaken in your apartment later this afternoon to make arrangements for the flight tonight at 9pm." Sesshomaru cut her off and turning from her, made his way to his chair, buttoning up his jacket.

There was a rustle behind him; the girl had followed him to his desk.

"Mr. Taisho-Mr. Taisho, please wait a minute!"

When Sesshomaru met her gaze, she stood completely still, mouth pursed tightly shut and eyes questioning his motives.

"Can I ask what just happened?"

"Ms. Takahashi, you are in clear violation of the firm's dress code. Suffice it is to say, I refuse to travel with someone who has little or no taste in proper clothing. The gods forbid we chance upon a client during the visit to my mother's house and they should see you in the rags you wear!" Sesshomaru busied himself with dialing a phone number.

"Master Jaken will be at your apartment promptly at 7pm to escort you to the hanger. Make sure you wear something decent." Sesshomaru joined a conference call on his phone before Rin had the chance to speak.

"Sesshomaru Taisho calling in for conference with Inuyasha Taisho."

Before she could get another word in, she was left standing speechless in the middle of his office. Mere moments later, her boss dismissed her with a hasty flick of his finger. Withholding the urge to bash her boss's head in with a chair, she silently walked out the office and quietly shut the door behind her.

"Argh! That jerk!" She muttered angrily, this time not caring who listened, thoroughly annoyed and utterly frustrated at Sesshomaru Taisho.

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Between musing about Lady Taisho and trying to pick out her Sunday best, Rin was busy organizing her thoughts about the upcoming trip. The sudden realization that she would be in close proximity to Sesshomaru was not a pleasant one. To spend an entire week with him was nothing short of brutal torture.

At the sound of the doorbell, Rin rushed to the door.

"Oh Master Jaken, it's so good to see you again!" Rin exclaimed happily and bent down to hug the old demon.

"You're looking wonderful as always, Rin." Master Jaken responded and with one hand lead her into the living area. His other hand dragged a garment hanging rack behind them. Rin briefly studied the colorful gowns it displayed.

"Your boss doesn't seem to think so." Rin shrugged and watched as the toad demon sifted through various gowns.

"You broke the dress code, Rin." She said in a mocking tone and proceeded to call him a jerk.

The old toad demon raised his brows and his eyes resembled large saucers but he said nothing, instead he pulled a nearby chair in front of Rin. She stared curiously as he held a gown in each hand and held them up at her one at a time, studying them from one angle then the next.

"Lord Sesshomaru is as eccentric as his mother, Rin. They're both moody and they can be overbearing but they mean well." The toad hopped down the chair and made his way back to the rack.

Rin groaned and followed the old demon, watching him ruffle through different dresses.

"Master Jaken, how is Lady Taisho doing? I'm so sad to hear that she's unwell."

"Ah, it's just a minor cold and nothing to worry yourself about; the lady will recover in no time." Master Jaken responded with a smile on his face and pulled out a midnight blue gown. "Why don't you wear this tonight?"

"Eh?" Rin responded in surprise.

"Me? I already have plenty of clothes." Rin clarified and pointed in the direction of her closet that was missing one half of the sliding panel. "And, I've already packed a suitcase for the trip." She pointed to the neatly prepared suitcase.

"Oh." Master Jaken's response was enough to cast a realization over Rin.

"Oh god! I can't believe I was so stupid." Rin complained and cursed her boss again. "Now, he's sending me clothes out of pity. Who the hell does he think he is!"

"Oh, don't be so overly dramatic, you silly girl. And, does it really matter who sent you these dresses? I for one think any of these gowns would look lovely on you. You're beautiful and you should flaunt it instead of hiding yourself behind clothes that don't fit." Master Jaken said with a conviction that made Rin's cheek heat.

"Nothing off that rack looks suitable for a plane ride much less a business trip, Master Jaken! These fancy dresses look like they should be worn to opera or a party!" Rin said heatedly as she touched one of the intricately cut gowns made of shimmering blue material; they resembled something she'd only ever seen Lady Taisho wear to her soirees.

Kneeling next to the toad demon, she sighed heavily. "I was so worried when Mr. Taisho said the lady had been denying medical care. My mother was a stubborn woman too and near the time of her death, she stop taking her medicine and visiting the doctors. It hurt me so much when she stopped caring for herself..."

Rin let her words trail. Trying not to think about her mother or her untimely death.

"Rin, you worry too much." Master Jaken consoled and placed a small, cool hand on top of hers. "I promise it's nothing serious. The lady is a pureblood; it'll take more than a common cold to bring her down! Now, what do we have here?" The toad demon pulled out another shimmering silver gown. "Perfect!"

"I'll be fine in one of my summer dresses, Master Jaken." Rin insisted and strode in the direction of her closet but her path was quickly intercepted by Mara.

"No, you won't because everything in your closet looks like a thrift store." A voice called from behind her.

"Mara! You're here too!" Rin smiled and hugged Mara fiercely.

"Of course! MJ can't be left to his own devices for parking the Royce." Mara shrugged and Master Jaken snorted. "Now, what's that about wearing a summer dress?"

"Mara! All these clothes look so expensive. I won't be comfortable in them."

"Rin, Lady Taisho herself ordered everything you see here for you."

"Lady Taisho ordered these for me? I thought.." Rin nearly went speechless.

"That Lord Sesshomaru gave you these dresses?" Mara completed.

Rin nodded and Master Jaken cleared his throat.

"I thought that this was some kind of trick he was playing on me to make me look like an idiot but now I guess I was wrong. Maybe Sesshomaru isn't as conniving as I thought him to be."

"There's plenty you do not know about him, Rin. But we all concede that the Lady is very fond of you and she's very eager to meet you again! Consider these gifts for being so regular with your payments. Lady Taisho's words." Mara reassured and to Rin's amazement pulled out a summer dress and matching pumps from a different rack; one she had dragged in.

"It's still very pricey." Rin pressed, touching the satiny material of the summer dress.

"Well, you can take it up with the Lady if you wish, Rin." Master Jaken pointed out and gasped animatedly after checking his wrist watch. "Hurry child, we haven't much time and Mara has yet to do your hair and makeup!"

A smile spread on Rin's face to meet her old friends once again and instead of complaining, she allowed Mara to style her hair and apply her makeup. Within minutes Rin was ready for the road. Soon enough they were heading out her tiny apartment, with Rin's meager belongings in a small carry on, into the limo.

Perhaps the trip won't be so miserable after all. Rin thought positively. Already her allies outweighed her tormentor and with Lady Taisho around, she was sure Sesshomaru Taisho would become a passing thought.

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They arrived minutes before 9 pm to a private hangar. The night air was cool and fresh and in her new summer dress, Rin felt somewhat like a celebrity walking down an exclusive airplane runway to a private jet. Master Jaken rushed ahead of them, up the airstairs and disappeared into the jet.

"Wow! I've never been on a private jet before!" Rin said eagerly; not caring that her tone resembled that of a child who'd just been given their first bicycle. "It looks so high-class."

"That's because it is." Mara responded warmly and with amazing strength and agility, slipped two suitcases and Rin's carry-on into the storage compartment underneath the jet and secured it tightly.

It was when Rin faced the dark figure clouded in the shadows atop the stairs that her smile withered away. His eyes shimmered like bright topaz in the dark and they stared at her with an intensity meant to intimidate. Absent mindedly, she reached for her glasses but her hand quickly went to tuck some hair behind her ear when she recalled putting them away (she really didn't need the glasses for reading). In all her excitement, she'd completely forgotten that Sesshomaru Taisho was joining her on the ride to the Taisho Estate.

The engine hummed; it was time to board.

"Um, Mara? How long of a plane ride is it?" Rin inquired nonchalantly, pretending not to have seen the devil in the dark. Suddenly self-conscious of herself, she wrapped her arms around her chest and desperately wished she had her oversized sweater with her.

"With Master Jaken's skills, I'd say two hours tops." Mara bowed and motioned for Rin to move ahead. "I'll get you a blanket as soon as the doors are locked, Miss."

Rin nodded and finally came face to face with Sesshomaru.

"Good evening, Sir." Rin said as politely as possible.

"Ms. Takahashi." Was the dry, blunt response she received before following the imposing figure into the cabin..

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When Mara handed Rin the blanket and excused herself to co-pilot the plane, Rin fought the urge to follow her into the cockpit. For more pleasant company, of course, it's not as though she was afraid of Sesshomaru Taisho.

"You look disappointed." Said an all too familiar voice.

"No! Not at all. I'm very thankful for everything Lady Taisho has done. She's very generous." Rin responded. From behind the laptop, all she could make out was the halo of his long, silver hair. Sesshomaru Taisho was a very busy person; he almost always carried his work home and he was forever working on a case or reviewing Naraku's reports.

"Clearly." He snipped and resumed typing furiously.

"Attention all passengers, please fasten your seat belts and turn off your electronics while we prepare for lift off." Mara cheerily announced.

Rin felt a shiver go down her spine. Facing Sesshomaru was a mistake; he was glaring hard in her direction. What she had done to deserve that disapproval, she wasn't sure. With a quiet groan, Rin sunk into her seat. It was her decision to agree to the trip and Sesshomaru Taisho was an inevitable part of it. As the plane made its way out the hangar, Rin hoped that Sesshomaru had busied himself with typing but she instantly regretted looking in his direction again. She swallowed thickly.

"Um, Mr. Taisho, you might want to put that laptop away. It interferes with the plane's instruments." The glare she had been receiving darkened and suddenly the mood around the cabin turned uncomfortably grim.

So much for small talk. May be a good idea to keep to myself. Rin decided as she averted her eyes to stare out the small window.

The start-off was smooth and soon they were in the air. Rin stared fixedly at the sights of the big city; its skyscrapers resembled starlight shining from the heavens.

A rustle from across the cabin had her looking at Sesshomaru again. Why did her eyes easily traveled to him? She was turning into a masochist!

Thankfully, Sesshomaru found other things to busy himself with. His suit jacket was thrown to an empty seat and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. With a pen in one hand, he alternated with turning a few pages back and forth, and typing with one finger on his laptop. His face was set in intense concentration and Rin thought it suited his personality: he was an arrogant professional after all.

It was hard for her to imagine him any other way and harder still to imagine that he had once been married, as Kagome sometimes mentioned, against his mother's wishes and that he used to smile. Reaching for the overhead light, she dimmed it and settled back into the large comfy chair. The never-ending, rhythmic clicking of the keyboard lulled her in and out of a peaceful nap.

Rin had soon become a conundrum plaguing his mind. Who knew a summer dress could transform someone so completely? Her hair was combed so that it fell like a thick, dark curtain down her slender back and the small shimmering pin that held her long bangs to the side of her head made her appear younger than what he had initially thought. The evening pumps she wore contrasted her outfit tastefully.

A thick, sweet smell constantly followed the girl around. Something he had noticed when she had been interviewed. It wasn't entirely unpleasant but bothersome nonetheless.

Her decision to not wear any of the lavish gowns or fancy heels intrigued him; any woman would want to indulge in the free gifts the Taisho family had to offer. The silken dress was not simple by any means, rather a classy, handcrafted piece custom made according to his mother's instructions. Strange how his mother knew exactly the dress Rin would pick.

Deciding that he should focus on something else, Sesshomaru opened his email account.

"Kagura was in the building today. Somehow she snuck in and rushed into your office. I think she didn't expect to find me here because she kept demanding to know your whereabouts. When I didn't reveal anything, she turned to her usual antics of insulting me and Kagome. I was this close to punching the daylights out of her but I know how you feel about your pristine white carpets, you cold bastard. What's our strategy?

-Yash"

Sesshomaru felt his blood boil. Kagura was the last annoyance he wanted to deal with now. Kagura had been absent from his life for over a year so exactly why was she making an appearance now?

"Per our divorce settlement, Kagura is under a restraining order to NOT come near me or my firm by a minimum of fifty feet. Breaking the agreement means she breaking the law and has to deal with the consequences. Check the security footage and see who had let her in. Contact me before you approach the culprit. For now, could either you or Kouga contact Kagura's lawyers? Let's regroup tomorrow.

-S"

In the morning. Sesshomaru decided. He would regroup with them in the morning. There was too much on his mind such as his mother's illness and the reports that Naraku had submitted earlier today had left him in a sour mood.

Several thousand dollars had been withdrawn from an offshore account to which only he and his mother knew the passcodes; it seemed a more thorough investigation was needed. Sesshomaru smirked. The reprieve from the daily routine of the office would give him ample time to do some searching of his own.

In between reading the reports and constantly emailing his medical team, he found himself stealing glances at Rin's sleepy form and studying her outline. The girl was far from a shapeless blob; with an ample bosom, tiny waist, trim belly and full hips, he supposed she wasn't entirely ugly. Why would she dress so poorly at the firm?

The evening pumps gave her an extra lift and even though she wasn't tall enough to reach his eyes, her height was pleasant enough to any man who would want to indulge in a dark fantasy for the evening with someone cute and sex-.

Damn it! Sesshomaru cursed and tried to concentrate on Naraku's reports. Again, it was only moments later that his eyes traveled to her frame, lounging easily in the large seat. Her small hands clutched the blanket close to her chest, which rose and fell steadily with each breath, her jawline that was smooth and delicate, the long lashes that kissed her cheeks as she slept and those pouty rosy lips.

To be looking at her! I've been without a woman for far too long. Sesshomaru rubbed his temples. He had been unable to concentrate on much since he saw Rin walk towards the jet with a smile he hadn't seen before.

Demonic heritage aside, first and foremost he was a male in his prime which meant he had needs. After the separation with Kagura, he had purposely cut himself off from being too involved with fairer sex. Whenever his physical needs were too severe to be gratified with his hand, he simply called an escort service.

But he hadn't paid such attention to a woman in a long time...

Nothing good ever came of it. Sesshomaru reasoned. There was a reason he had become this way. Kagura had been the epitome of innocence and sweet charm when he initially met her at the annual botanical gardens charity ball. She had cooed him with sweet words and promises and he had been the fool of an Inu to fall for her dark tricks. Only when he had decided to give her everything, did she crush it all with her six inch heels and walk out of his life with a sadistic smile.

This girl - Rin - was so similar in countenance, in personality that he thought for a moment perhaps the gods were testing his patience and his ability to think straight.

No! I refuse to be taken for a fool.

The mere thought of Kagura and the recollection of his folly combined with his boyish thoughts about Rin boiled his blood and he felt his demonic aura shoot out angrily in all four corners of the small cabin.

The girl's voice distracted him.

"Sir? Excuse me, Sir?" Rin said and placed her small hand on his forearm; the heat from her hand burned through his shirt. "You're worried about Lady Taisho, aren't you? I am, too, but you have to be strong for her. It's hard but think about the happy times you spent with her and let those good memories give you faith, hm?"

A warm waft of a clear, strong aroma hit his nose and he immediately bowed his head to the source.

"Here's some tea to help you relax." Rin said with a soft smile and reclaimed her seat on the opposite end of the cabin.

Sesshomaru wrapped his hands around the warm cup. The warmth comforted him somewhat. Slowly lifting the cup to his lips, he sipped the clear liquid. The brew was different but surprisingly delicious and smooth.

"I thought you were asleep." Sesshomaru said.

"Just drifting. I've never been on a plane before. It's exciting but tiring." She said with an ear-to-ear smile and stretched languidly on the plane seat with a sultry yawn. Innocently showcasing her fullness without a clue as to what such actions would convey to a man, who had been chaste for several months. Sesshomaru watched her skeptically.

"You mean you never went on vacation with the half a million dollar debt you racked up?" Sesshomaru clipped, mentally disapproving of Rin's actions. Disapproving even more his reaction to her, which was anything but innocent.

The relaxed look on her face turned sullen and she looked out the window. "If I had known what was going to happen, I would have definitely taken a holiday."

That sharp and clipped voice only served to frustrate Sesshomaru further. Chewing on the end of his pen, he grinned as a most cunning plan racked his brains. He needed a harder hammer to break her shell.

"Pity. I don't suppose you spent any of that fortune on proper clothing either." Sesshomaru pushed.

She visibly bristled. Her knuckles had turned white because of the intensity with which she gripped the blanket. "No."

Everything about her attitude was driving him insane: her refusal to look at him, the one-word vocabulary, and the gloomy mood.

"You never thought of placing another bet? Surely with half a million dollars, you would have been tempted." Sesshomaru prodded, eagerly waiting for something more than a mere no. There was only so much he could bear until he passed his limits.

The face that snapped in his direction left him momentarily speechless. Her jaw was set; there were unshed tears in her eyes and her cheeks were red with anger. "I'm not sure what game you're playing or what sick pleasure you get out of doing this but know that I will bear you for your mother's sake. You think you know me because of the rumors you've heard around the office? Then why even bother asking me anything? You've already decided what you think of me and nothing I can say will change your mind. You are a cruel man, Sesshomaru Taisho, and I hate ever having met you."

Of all the things his clients, Kagura and even his mother had ever said to him about himself, he couldn't remember a time when anyone had said that he was cruel and that they hated him. He was absolutely certain that those he successfully put behind bars called him a great many hateful things and wished his death a million times over but Rin's words stung stung more than any.

Reaching for the cup of tea she had made for him, he decided his approach towards her would be for the best. He could deal with her being angry at him and not wanting to do anything with him. Heaven knew he didn't want to get to know her anymore than he already did.

There was a deep, untouched passion that lay hidden in her brown-eyed depths and losing himself in them was not something he was willing to risk. He remained quiet for the rest of the flight back.

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Once the plane landed, Mara and Master Jaken dragged the suitcases out on the pathway and into the large estate.

Rin couldn't wait to get out of the small jet. Asphyxiated was how she felt around Sesshomaru especially after she finally admitted that she hated him and she needed space.

Stupid Rin! She scolded herself. If Sesshomaru wasn't willing to be on civil terms with her, there was no need to hold back her hatred for him.

Throughout the trip, she reminded herself that she was doing this for the kind Lady Taisho. To think she had lost composure in front of that bully was a huge blow to her pride; he had nearly brought her to tears. What irked her even more is that she had willingly made him tea. Willingly!

When Mara opened the door, Rin rushed out the cabin and in her hurry, lost her footing. Her gasp was lost in her throat as she closed her eyes and waited with bated breath for the cold hardness of the concrete to turn her into minced meat.

In place of pain, she felt cradled in strong arms and a strange feeling of floating took over.

After opening her eyes, Rin shrieked and wrapped her arms around her saviour. Much to her dismay.

"Th-Thanks." She mumbled forcibly.

"No need. If I let my mother's play thing get hurt, I wouldn't hear the end of it." Sesshomaru landed swiftly on the ground.

"Just so you know, the cold, hard surface of the concrete was a better option than being in your debt!" Rin seethed.

The look that Sesshomaru gave her was cold and intense. Immediately, she was let go and landed on the concrete with a thump.

"Ow!" Rin wailed and watched with seething hatred as the vicious demon casually walked over to help Mara with the bags. Lifting herself from the ground, Rin straightened her dress.

The large mansion doors swung open and a tall figure with flowing silver hair clad in a lavender silk nightgown and matching robe airily walked out with outstretched arms.

"Oh my darlings, you're finally here." Lady Taisho spoke in weary tones but her composure was hardly exhausted nor did she appear to be someone who was ill.

"Lady Taisho! You shouldn't be out like this." Rin beamed and hugged the lady fiercely.

"Pish posh. I'm just fine now that my darlings are here to keep me company." The lady laughed openly.

"Who's to say she was ever ill?" Sesshomaru raised a questioning brow and narrowed his eyes at his mother. When Rin cast him a disapproving look, he simply shrugged. "That solves the mystery of why she refused professional care."

"Sesshomaru! Stop being such a crabby koinu. Don't pay him any mind, Rin. He's just grumpy because I dragged him out of that desolate office of his!" The lady linked her arm with Rin's and happily lead her into the large mansion.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and followed behind.

"Why is it that our lovely guest isn't wearing one of the expensive gowns?" Lady Inukimi inquired.

"I just felt more comfortable in this." Rin replied honestly and earned a chuckle from her hostess.

"You're such a sweetheart, Rin. Now come," the lady lead Rin up the gigantic staircase into the same room she had resided last year, "there is much we need to discuss."

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	3. Chapter 3

The familiar manner in which his mother swirled around the marble kitchen island pulling out pots and pans and recommending spices and herbs, was not the least bit amusing. And, to think he was actually worried about her this time around; he should have know better than that.

The ever-scheming Lady Taisho had easily fooled him into believing that she was the helpless lamb. The term never suited his mother, and he knew the rose sauce bubbling on the stove wasn't the only thing she was brewing.

Let her keep it to herself; he would eventually uncover her plans.

Sniffling casually, Sesshomaru shifted his gaze to Rin, smiling as she inspected the proffered pot for sizing only to nod in approval before placing it on the burner. The wildness in her hair had returned; the unkempt curls were bound atop her head in her usual messy bun.

The cheery morning Rin was a contrast to the evening Rin who had been seething with hatred for him. The girl rivalled him in hiding her emotions.

Since her arrival in the kitchen, she had agreed to his mother's every single command and ignored him perfectly.

"I've never would have thought of marinating vegetables for a salad, Lady Taisho! It's an excellent idea." Rin enthused and busied herself with chopping some cucumber.

"I'll let you in on my home made roast recipe this evening if you stick around." The lady winked at Rin who smiled back and continued chopping.

"A recipe that can easily be found in the cookbook that you're attempting to hide?" Sesshomaru added, pointedly looking at his mother tucking said book underneath a kitchen cloth.

"Pay no attention to Mr. Grumpy over here, Rin." Lady Taisho owlishly looked at her son son before facing Rin. "He's been too long without a woman's presence in his life to appreciate the meal he gets after we slave by the fire."

"How rude of me. Breakfast was wonderful, mother. I'll be sure to thank Mara when I see her next." Sesshomaru clarified, gulping down his coffee. It was black and strong, as always but he missed the smooth gentle taste of the tea he drank last night.

"All I ever do is try, and try, and try, only to be criticized by my troublesome pup who I carried for nine and a half weeks. He doesn't care for me, Rin." The lady wailed and like a spoiled child with outstretched arms walked towards Rin. Putting away her knife and wiping her hands on her apron, Rin sweetly cajoled the elderly lady.

"Oh, he's just teasing but he loves you very much. Why don't you sit here and relax and let me handle lunch, hm?" Urging Lady Inukimi onto a seat next to Sesshomaru, and placing a sandwich in front of her, Rin continued to ignore her boss.

Sesshomaru - whose glares seemed to bounce off of Rin - decided to engage in some discussion with the lady. "What are you planning, mother?"

"Whatever do you mean, my cute little koinu?" The lady responded; her eyes blinking in naivety.

"You're playing with her. Why?" Sesshomaru said gruffly.

The lady quirked a brow. "Does it matter to you if I do?"

Sesshomaru nearly choked on his coffee. Nearly. "Hardly."

The lady giggled with mischief in her eyes before biting into her sandwich. "I don't care what you think anyway. I happen to adore Rin. At least she trusts me, which is more than I can say for my own flesh and blood."

"That's because I know better. Should I remind you of the emotional scars your games have left on me? How about that one time you gave Kagura your 'special spices,' both she and I were indisposed for a week? Don't tell me you're repressing."

Waving him dismissively, his mother placed her elbow on the table and rested her face on her knuckles. "Oh, koinu. Rin and Kagura are two different women. Speaking of which, I heard she gave you trouble the other day."

Sesshomaru sucked in a harsh breath. "She showed up at the office but I handled it. Why the sudden interest?"

"I'm hardly interested in her." The lady shrugged as she sipped her own coffee. "It's my son's assets I'm concerned about. I can't have some hussy making trouble for him when our accounts are running dry."

Sesshomaru pursed his lips and tried to read through the facade on his mother's face. "You think there's a connection."

"I wouldn't put it past her but without evidence, we can only speculate." The lady shrugged. "I have more important things for you to worry about such as Naraku's reports and preparing your numbers before we meet with him tomorrow. Slacking won't do anyone good, Sesshomaru."

The jab hurt him more bitterly than the tasteless espresso. Normally, he would have been one step ahead of his mother had he not been mulling over Rin's words from the night before.

You are a cruel man, Sesshomaru Taisho, and I hate ever having met you.

To let such a silly comment bother him was surprising even for himself. The fact that he couldn't break through her shell was infuriating. Part of what she had said was true. Most of his assumptions were based off of hearsay but wasn't that why he approached her last night?

Feeling a pang of guilt for his approach, Sesshomaru groaned and reached for his laptop. Kagura's lawyer had already been contacted and they were waiting on a response. Inuyasha had emailed him a copy of the security tapes from yesterday afternoon.

Finally! A distraction. Sesshomaru relaxed. This would keep him well and busy for some time.

"The look on your face tells me you found something in the cookie jar." His mother interrupted his thoughts.

"The security tapes from yesterday. I had been waiting for them." Closing his laptop, he grabbed his coffee cup.

Bang!

"I'm sorry!" Rin grabbed a handful of paper towels to wipe the coffee that had spilled on his shirt.

Sesshomaru frowned. "Don't worry about it. I'll have Mara get me a new one."

Rin's face was etched in worry as she wiped most of the wetness off his shirt.

"Mr. Taisho. Is there anything you need help with today?" Rin coolly asked.

"Not for today but I may have something for you tomorrow." Sesshomaru answered.

After a curt nod, she rushed into the kitchen. Silently thanking the gods for not having to work with Sesshomaru today.

"Are you sure you won't be joining us, Rin? Some of my friends have been eager to meet you." Lady Inukimi spoke over her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Taisho, but a friend of mine is in town and I've promised to meet him tonight." Draining what appeared to be pasta, Rin turned to check on the now simmering sauce.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Lady Inukimi was by her side now putting her empty plate in the sink.

"Eh? Not anymore. I mean we dated at one point but we're just good friends now." It was a surprise when Kohaku ended up calling her earlier today. They hadn't spoken since she moved to the city to work for Taisho and Ookami and now all of a sudden not only does he call but insists on meeting with her to discuss something important.

From the sounds of it, he was in some kind of trouble and despite her hesitation she had decided to meet with him. Turns out that since that night they were caught by the police, Kohaku had been working at the Starlight Casino and Rin was eager to learn how that transpired.

"Are you seeing anyone then?" The lady pressed.

"Not really." With her rotten luck, she didn't want to involve someone in her life only to screw them over too.

"That's splendid!" The cheery lady clapped her hands to which Rin raised an inquisitive brow. "It means you're available for me. I'm holding a soiree in a couple of days and I would love for you to join. Sesshomaru will be there too you know."

Rin froze and tried not to groan in agony. Once again reminding herself that she was doing this for the kind lady, she feigned a small smile. "Of course I'm available."

"Lovely!" The lady kissed her on the cheek and rushed upstairs. Leaving Rin in the kitchen to dwell on her thoughts about Kohaku and her meeting with him later tonight.

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Trying to keep her mind free from the upcoming meeting with Kohaku, Rin busied herself with helping Lady Taisho pick her outfit and make alterations here and there. When asked where she was headed, the lady had willingly divulged the details.

"I'm going to the opera of course and a late night dinner on the river front! No lady should be alone by herself on a beautiful starry night."

"Ooohhh and do you have a hot date?" Rin teased and the lady had the decency to blush slightly.

"He's just an old friend." The lady responded with hooded eyes. "But it's business, as usual. We have to go over some numbers and reports..." There was a hint of sadness in the lady's voice but she quickly perked up. "Are you certain you won't join us? I promise you'll be far from bored."

"I'm so sorry, Lady Taisho. Besides, we'll be together at the soiree right?" Rin said.

"We will." The lady smiled and let Rin continue with the necessary alterations. When Mara became busy with the lady's hair and makeup, Rin excused herself.

Closing the door shut behind her, Rin collapsed on the comfy bed as she tried to formulate a plan for meeting Kohaku.

They had dated for a few months before her mother's passing. They had kissed on a few occasions but there had been no... sparks. They had done things that couples normally do like hold hands or cuddle during a scary movie but Rin had been too comfortable at the familiarity of his touch from childhood and there nothing more. Other than Kohaku, no other man had ever paid her much attention.

All except Sesshomaru Taisho and the kamis knew she hated everything about him.

The way he stared at her, his condescending approach towards her, his haughty, arrogant attitude and the list went on.

Shaking herself from thoughts of her tormentor, she walked around the room and kneeled in front of her small suitcase. Hidden among her few articles of clothing was a fabric mask. It was a special charm that had belonged to her father. From her mother's night time stories she remembered that the charm was created by a powerful demon many years ago for her father to mask a human's scent from demons. Deciding it was best to use it to hide her scent and sneak out the house, Rin put on a simple pair of black pants, white sleeveless t-shirt, a black hooded cape, and long boots.

The Starlight Casino was not a normal gambling house. Unless a woman was on the arm of a Yakuza member, she would be caught and either sold into prostitution or become property of the Yakuza. She would have to meet with Kohaku in a secluded place.

The night air was chilly and Rin's heart was beating fast as she snuck out from her room. With Lady Taisho and Mara gone, and Master Jaken busy with his TV shows, it would be an easy escape. Sesshomaru's presence had been scarce since the morning and he would hardly care to look for her. No one would suspect her absence.

Tying the ends of several bedsheets together, Rin attached one end to the massive bed and threw the other end down to the lawn to climb down the balcony. She rushed into the shadows from the Taisho estate to the hill overlooking the casino and surrounding town where she would meet with Kohaku.

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Upon reaching the hill, Rin took refuge by nearby bushes and waited. It wasn't long before a car drove into the greenbelt around where Rin was hiding and parked. The inside of the car lit up with a dim light and in tandem her cell phone buzzed in her pocket.

I'm here.

Rin responded.

Coming out now.

Tapping on the glass on the driver's side, Rin smiled when she saw Kohaku's familiar face.

"Oh god, Rin! I'm so happy to see you!" Kohaku was outside and hugging her off her feet.

"Same here. What's going on, Kohaku? Why are you working for the casino? I thought you were on parole." Rin followed him to the other side of the car and sat in the passenger's seat when he opened the car door. Coming back to the driver's seat, Kohaku released a deep breath.

Running a hand through his hair, Kohaku briefly gazed out the car window before placing his hands on the steering wheel. He squeezed so hard that his knuckles went white.

"The morning following our arrest, I had met with my state appointed attorney, I was looking at a minimum twelve year sentence, only if I plead guilty. It took me a day to decide but when I had, they came to see me instead of the lawyer. They promised me a way out of this with no criminal record if only I could help them in return."

"Who are you talking about Kohaku?" At first she had been frustrated that he lied about his parole but now it all made sense. He was being manipulated by someone.

"I'm sorry for not telling you the truth, Rin. They tapped my phones, tracked my every move, I couldn't tell you the truth no matter how bad I wanted to. Even now, as we speak, they're waiting at my apartment for me to come home so they could interrogate me. It's a miracle that they haven't followed me here..."

"Who came to see you?"

Kohaku's eyes had a faraway look in them; he appeared distraught. "Tseng and the others."

Sighing deeply, Rin tried to search her memory for a 'Tseng' but none came to mind."Kohaku-"

"The red-head, Rin, the one who ran after Sato - his name is Tseng. Fuck! I was scared shitless when he showed up in my cell. Him and his gang of no good thugs. I thought I was a goner, Rin. I thought they were going to kill me."

Kohaku breathed deeply a few times before sitting up straight and running his hands over his face.

"They demanded to know where Sato was. I was dead confused. Why would the man ask about someone he had just killed? I told him he'd lost his marbles and he punched me square in the face. He said I had two options: either tell him where Sato was or hand over the money. I told them what I knew but Tseng wouldn't hear anything of it."

Rin nodded for Kohaku to continue.

"Rin.. Sato had escaped. Tseng told me that he ran after him in the alley but the two timer got away before he could get a hit."

Disbelief spread across Rin's face and her eyes shot open. "That's impossible, Kohaku, the forensics found his body."

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Kohaku nodded. "That's what I thought, too, but think about it. Did you ever see his body at the crime scene?"

Rin shook her head.

"Neither did I. So how do we know if it was his body they found?"

"But, how do you know that Tseng isn't spinning an elaborate tale? Have you gone to the morgue-"

"I had." Kohaku interrupted. "After I agreed to help them, I was released and the first place they took me had been the morgue. It wasn't his body in the coffin. I rushed to the front and demanded they tell me who the man was. Thanks to Tseng and the others they easily gave all his info: the birth date, the address, the scams he pulled, everything. The background matched but his face wasn't his; we were friends for the better part of ten years I know his face!

"Tseng was one pissed off son of a bitch. He threatened to shoot me on the spot and I had to grovel at his feet until he stopped his interrogation but for a price: I had to work for them and report to them as soon as I found out something about Sato. Something went really wrong that night and it wasn't just us going to jail.

"Will you help me fix this, Rin? Sato pulled a big one on us and we didn't deserve any of it. The suffering, the jail time, nothing."

Still trying to wrap her head around all this new information, Rin asked in confusion. "But Kohaku, what can I do?"

Kohaku's features relaxed. "You work for a law firm, right? You have access to government data. Can you maybe run a background check on Sato and find out if he went by an alias? Or if there was a town he lived in before he came to Shikonville? Maybe he was running from something before he came to our town? Do you think you can help me?"

Needing time to mull over all the information she'd received, Rin decided that leaving Kohaku alone in this wasn't the right thing to do. They went into this stupid plan together and now that it had escalated into something more, she felt obligated to help.

"I'll see what I can do but you need to keep your eyes and ears open for anything."

"Thanks, Rin!" Kohaku beamed and leaned forward to give her a hug but Rin felt troubled. The past had come back to haunt them.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Kohaku smiled wearily.

The digital clock flashing on Kohaku's deck signalled 11:45 pm. It was time to head back. As she reached for the car door handle, Kohaku offered her a ride home. Rin declined.

Dropping her off at the front gate would alert Master Jaken and her night time outing would trickle down to Sesshomaru. HE was the last person she wanted doing anything with her business. The hill wasn't very far from the Taisho mansion and she knew the area like the back of her hands, having frolicked in them since she was very little.

"I'll call if I find anything. Keep in touch, Kohaku." Rin said before heading in the direction of some thick shrubs to make her way home.

Hair flapping in the fresh night time wind, Sesshomaru hopped from tree to tree in his old outfit, feeling some reprieve from what he had learned today. Not only did the disguise shield his aura from being detected by other demons, it also cloaked him well. Only his mass of silver hair was left free of any binds while the rest of him merged perfectly in the darkness.

The footage from the security tapes bothered him more so than he had expressed to Kouga and Inuyasha.

"What purpose could Naraku have to let Kagura in from the back door?" Kouga had inquired.

Sesshomaru had pinched the top of his nose in annoyance. Naraku was his star employee. Based on his excellent performance in the past two months, he was hoping to promote him as Director of Finance. What he had discovered was a great disappointment.

"I will fly into the firm tomorrow afternoon at which time we will interrogate Naraku. Prepare the termination letters as we discussed."

"Got it!" Inuyasha had given him a thumbs up and ended the phone call.

In his younger days, he used to sweep the area surrounding his mother's estate, searching for hoodlums and trouble makers, either giving them a warning or dropping them off at the local police station. With all that had happened today, he needed to release some of his tension.

He had been on his way to the town surrounding the casino when the sound of a revving engine made him take a detour. It was an old sedan, perched on a hill top spot that was not frequented by young lovers so the need to determine the purpose of the parked car was heavy on him.

For all he knew, it could be a drug deal going down or some other shady business that needed righting.

By the time he had reached the clearing, a small hooded figure was making his way towards the thick trees. Sesshomaru froze. A perpetrator? The car had already rounded onto the main road and was speeding down in the direction of the casino. Even with his demonic speed, he couldn't be in two places at once. A niggling feeling pushed him to follow the mysterious figure.

With a swift approach, he descended to a thick branch, ever careful to keep a low profile. The figure concealed in shadows seemed to be heading towards the estates and that was alarming.

Every inch of his detective instincts yelled at him to go and interrogate the perp. Giving away his position, Sesshomaru descended onto the dewy grass in front of the figure.

"W-Who's there?" A soft, feminine voice called out nervously.

So it was a she.

Who was she?

Why was she here?

Who was she speaking with earlier?

The woman was wearing a black mask on her face; it was cut around the eyes so he could see but it concealed her identity well.

"I can see you looking at me. Come out or-or-"

"Or, what will you do? Attack me with that twig?" Said the very masculine, arrogant voice.

Rin froze. It wasn't a demented creature of the night. The figure materialized into someone that she was very familiar with. Sesshomaru Taisho. And he looked like a handsome version of Zorro. Minus the face mask.

The black as midnight shirt he wore was halfway open in the front and waved in ripples on his chest, teasingly revealing sculpted pecs; the equally dark cape billowed slightly as the wind receded. The fitted pants he wore highlighted his manly legs. His silvery mane shone even more brilliantly in the moonlight and his eyes were a dark shade of molten amber.

I suppose this is what you call devilishly handsome. Rin shook her head free of such thoughts for such a disgusting person. Snapping her gaping mouth shut she swallowed a few times before reminding herself of the severity of the situation.

What the hell was Sesshomaru Taisho doing here?

Did he recognize her?

Had he followed her?

Why on earth was he dressed like Zorro?

A few strides in her direction later, and he was barely two feet from her. Intimidated by his glare and utterly embarrassed at her situation, Rin stepped back to gain some distance between them only to lose her footing over a log. Holding her breath, she braced for the fall but instead found herself cradled in two very strong arms.

A musky scent filled her nostrils and she felt dizzy. Clutching onto the silken shirt, Rin held on for dear life. Her heart was about to pop out of her chest any minute.

Rin hadn't counted on any of this to happen but she had to be strong. Sesshomaru hadn't recognized her and she must play that to her advantage.

Once she found her footing, she pushed against his chest. It was strong and hard. Unintentionally, her fingers slipped down his chest and she felt the tense ripples of the muscles in his abs. She never knew he was this built under his business suits. Giving herself a mental shake, she placed her hands on his arms - feeling even more thick, firm muscles move under fingers - and tried to wiggle free. She needed distance to think rationally and find a way to get away from the arrogant demon.

"I haven't done anything wrong."

The woman's voice came out a whisper so sweet that Sesshomaru felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Loosening his hold, only enough so that the woman could raise her head, he locked gazes with her and stared deep into dark eyes that looked up at him in curiosity.

"I haven't done anything wrong. Please, let me go." She struggled against him. In their current situation, this was not a good tactic.

The woman was some kind of criminal of that he was absolutely certain so then why he was turned on was beyond him. There was fear in her eyes and he should...

What had been his purpose?

His gaze travelled to the softness of her jaw and the rich pillow like lips, shining brightly in the moonlight.

Something predatory had begun to grow within him. The woman was completely helpless and he was a predator in his prime. All her curves rubbing up against his sex-deprived body was not helping his rational thought. Having forgotten the purpose of approaching the stranger at the outset, he strained to hold onto reality.

Her lips parted and Sesshomaru groaned. His one hand immediately came to the nape of her neck tangling fingers in her hair and tugging slightly to crane her neck and the other dipped low to hold one soft butt cheek and lift her to him. He gave her time to turn away, to reject him or even show that she was uninterested. When her lids drifted closed, Sesshomaru closed the distance between them.


	4. Chapter 4

What had come over him?

Barely a breath away from her soft pillow-like lips, luscious, full, and oh-so-willing, Sesshomaru hesitated.

With a deliciously squirming female in his arms, all he had to do was cover her mouth with his and she would completely give in to him. He knew by the sound of her breath and her rapidly beating heart that there was no resistance left in her.

Sesshomaru gave a low growl at the doubt lingering in his mind. Did he have the control needed to stop himself from taking things further? Even the most strong-willed of demons easily fell prey to a woman so willing to be mated.

Shutting his eyes from the lovely woman in front of him yet still holding onto her arms, Sesshomaru pushed her away from him with a new acquired effort.

"Why are you out here?" Sesshomaru nearly croaked. His voice was broken and throaty, and he swallowed thickly. "Do you belong to the Kyosodan?"

"Huh?" The girl said breathlessly and slowly opened her hooded eyes.

"The Kyosodan." Trying to steady his voice was far more difficult than he'd imagined. "Do you belong to them?"

"I-I don't belong to the Kyosodan." Came her mumbled reply. A cold wind had decided to make its entrance then, and it blew her cape away from her body, revealing two rosy, upright tips through her cotton tee shirt. It did not help his case in particular.

Sesshomaru cursed, and the girl knit her brows.

"Then why are you out here in the middle of the night? Practically naked!" With a sex-deprived demon just a few feet away from her. He didn't add that, of course.

With knitted brows, she wiggled herself completely free of his hold.

"I'm not naked!" She clipped, but tightened the cloak around herself like a cocoon. "Besides, what does it matter to you if I'm out here? It's a free country, isn't it?"

"What happens on my lands is very much my business. You're better off to come clean about whatever laws you were breaking, before I hand you over to the authorities."

The girl's eyes widened like saucers; her mouth opened in an 'o' shape, but she quickly pursed her lips. The extent of her anger reflected in the bright red tint on her cheeks, and with a slight frown she glared defiantly. "I didn't break any laws."

"Then you have nothing to hide." Sesshomaru remarked and watched her frown deepen.

"I'm here to help a friend." She said boldly and faced him. "But I don't want him or anyone else getting into any trouble."

"And this friend typically leaves you alone in the middle of the forest in the dead hours of the night?" Sesshomaru spoke through clenched teeth.

Her eyes widened.

"You were watching us!" She seethed but Sesshomaru cut her off easily.

"I chanced upon you on my usual rounds-"

"And practically seduced me!"

"You seemed willing enough!" Sesshomaru countered.

The girl opened her mouth but when no retort left her lips, she harrumphed and turned her back to him.

"Now, tell me why you are here."

Silence ensued, and then there was a long sigh.

"Don't bother lying because I'll know."

After a few more moments, the girl sighed and finally turned around.

"Fine. I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell the authorities. I don't want my friend or the people I live with to get into trouble."

"You have my word." He made a sign of a cross over his heart. With a wave, Sesshomaru gestured in the direction of a comfortable log. Squinting her eyes in its direction, the girl nodded and made her way in the direction his hand had gestured. She sat first and he followed.

"To begin, you can take off the mask."

"What!" She exclaimed.

"It's masking your scent isn't it." Sesshomaru revealed. "A useful item to have if you don't want to leave a trail behind. Although - since I am the point of authority in these lands, you have nothing to fear." Sesshomaru leaned back on the log and relaxed further.

The girl slapped his hand away when he reached for the tie behind her head. "I can do it myself, thanks."

"Just trying to help. It is dark out here." Sesshomaru shrugged and pretended not to listen when she mumbled about him being annoying.

With most of her face covered due to the dark mask she wore, it was difficult to make out what she was fully thinking. But her eyes revealed more than the mask could hide; they were contemplative.

Chewing on her lower lip for a moment, the girl reached behind her head and gripped the ties that held the mask over her eyes. When the mask slipped off her face, a nostalgic scent invaded his nostrils. Within moments, he recognized the thick, sweet, suffocating smell.

No. It couldn't be...

"Rin!" Sesshomaru nearly fell off the log in shock when said girl briefly faced him only to look away. Whatever composure he had melted away to be replaced with anger.

"What the hell - " He yelled and grabbed her by the arm forcing her to face him.

"I haven't done anything wrong. Let go of me!" Rin seethed angrily, struggling to free herself from his iron grip. Although her brown orbs were burning with anger, they welled with tears. As expected, she had completely closed off; she was guarded.

Changing his tact, Sesshomaru sighed deeply and softened his hold but did not release her. "I won't hand you over to anyone. If you calm down for a moment, you'll recall what I just said."

Pursing her lips, Rin nodded to which Sesshomaru released her arm and urged her to sit. Holding her knees close to her chest, Rin breathed in deeply a few times and wiped whatever tears had traveled from her eyes to her chin. The rough, hard surface of the tree log wasn't all that made her uncomfortable sitting next to Sesshomaru. Now that her identity was revealed, she felt fearful and anxious. As an employer, he already had trust issues with her and especially her sordid past.

"You're not falling asleep on me, are you?"

Rin gritted her teeth and wondered if this casual act was just that - an act. An opening to bully her as he often did.

"No." Rin snapped. Collecting her thoughts was one thing but approaching Sesshomaru without the barrier of a mask or her oversize clothing seemed unnerving. Her past was a tangled web of unfortunate events, exactly where would she start?

As though reading her mind, Sesshomaru offered an opening. "Why don't you start with your mother's passing?"

"You're going to laugh at me." Rin whispered against her knees.

"Try me." Sesshomaru faced a sulking Rin. It wasn't as though he was purposely riling her up, he just wanted to get to know her better. He sighed before continuing.

"I think we started off on the wrong foot, Rin. My mother isn't known to shower kindness on others so when she did-"

"You were jealous?" Rin added, her eyes peeking from behind the arm resting on her knees.

Sesshomaru shrugged. "I wouldn't underestimate her if I was you."

"I don't think that way about my friends." Rin stated as a matter of fact and stretched out her legs. Placing her hands on her thighs, she sighed deeply. "Anyway, if you want to hear my story without cheeky comebacks, then I can change my mind."

Sesshomaru mumbled a non-committed 'sure' to which Rin raised an unimpressed brow but continued anyway.

"At the time of my mother's death, I discovered that she hadn't left a will, which meant that her acreage and whatever she had in savings would automatically go to the city but all her debts were now under my name. I was horrified because I had just lost my mother and -" Rin stopped abruptly to clear her throat; her long hair shielded her eyes from him. "And now I had to pay her debts. The minute the funeral was over, I met with my mother's bank to make payment arrangements and get some advice to fight the city for my family's only remaining heritage - our land.

The bank recommended that I let the city sell the land and to come back when I had a job so that I could apply for a loan to buy back the land. I already knew my mother's land was valued at just over quarter of a million dollars; there was no way I could get a loan that large to reclaim the land from the city but the bank said I had no other options. So, I took the advice. I had just finished high school so I could only work odd jobs but it was difficult to save enough in a short time because I now lived with a some friends - Kohaku and Sato - and I had to pay them rent as well. By the time I had enough for collateral, value of the acreage had increased and I couldn't get the loan."

Her eyes held a sad and forlorn look in them. "A few weeks later, Kohaku suggested that I place a bet in one of the casinos. It was a stupid move but I wanted to take a chance. I had to fight for my mother's land. So, I took it."

"Which casino was it?" Sesshomaru feared the response he was going to receive.

Upon hearing the name, Sesshomaru suppressed a curse. Starlight Casino was an shady operation run by the notorious crime gang - Kyosodan. "What happened then?"

Rin sighed softly. "Kohaku suggested I go to the big tables straight away because our chances of winning would be higher and I agreed. I took out most of my savings and exchanged them for chips. For someone who had never gambled before, I felt like I was on cloud nine; I won nearly half a million dollars in less than an hour.

We cashed out the winnings quickly and head home in a taxi only to notice a car following us. It was unmarked with dark tinted windows. From the rearview mirror, I saw two men: one with a bright red hair and a tattoo of a bird on one half of his face and another with long blonde hair tied into a high ponytail." Rin visibly shivered.

"Next thing you know our lives were being threatened at gunpoint. The taller red haired man reached for my bag of money but Sato snatched it from me, and yelled 'run' before dashing off into an alley. The slightly shorter blonde man was about to shoot me when Kohaku rammed into him and they fell on the ground. While they were fighting I heard gunshots from the direction of the alley where Sato had run off.

Panicked and scared, I reached for my phone but my hands couldn't stop shaking. The phone kept slipping from my fingers and when I managed to steady myself and dial 911, I heard another gunshot. Somehow Kohaku had managed to shoot the blonde haired man with his gun.

When the police arrived, they arrested Kohaku for manslaughter. After I told the police about my friendship with Sato, they arrested me as his accomplice to a money laundering scam valued at over 3 billion dollars. Apparently, Sato belonged to Kyosodan a criminal gang well known for it's involvement with laundering money. They had been searching him for over 3 years." Rin shook her head feverishly. " I tried to explain that I wasn't aware of Sato's true identity but they wouldn't believe me. Later, I found that Sato had forged my signature on several fraudulent investments and bonds."

Rin paused to adjust herself on the log. Sesshomaru studied the emotions reflected on her face starting from grief to betrayal and finally misery. For the first time in months, he felt a change in his opinion of her. Even though he had no evidence to prove her wrong, he knew firsthand how it felt to be deceived by someone in whom you blindly trusted and how fragile the trust that was now lost. No wonder, Rin kept to herself and hid behind those awful glasses. With his jaw set, he watched as she carried on.

Rin laughed weakly before resuming. "I lost everything. My mother, my home, my friends and I was about to lose my freedom." The girl looked at him then with her crystal clear brown eyes on the verge of tears. "I was arrested and put into a holding cell for the night but I was so lucky that Lady Taisho helped me in such a grave time of need."

"So, you were imprisoned for a night?" Sesshomaru asked in puzzlement; her government records indicated she had served time for over two years.

Rin nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. "Lady Taisho paid my bail and I was released in the morning."

The government wasn't in the habit of altering personal records then again when it came to the Kyosodan, things were not always as they seemed. Furthermore, Lady Inukimi Taisho most definitely wasn't in the habit of helping local girls; in fact, his mother was a far cry from the angel Rin painted her to be. Sesshomaru frowned harder and tried to make sense of it all. "Why hadn't your mother written a will?"

"In between taking care of the farm, doing odd jobs and sending me to school, she just didn't have time. I don't blame her. I just wish I could have done more to help." Rin stared at a spot on the dewy grass.

"You could have always placed another bet." Sesshomaru teased; hoping only to lighten the mood. A reclusive, cautious and demure Rin he could deal with but something within him stirred when he saw her in such a sorrowful mood.

"By the time everything was said and done, I just wanted it all to be over." Rin mumbled, with hooded eyes.

"This friend of yours - Sato - did the forensics find his remains?"

"Yes but after meeting with Kohaku, I wonder if he was some kind of shapeshifter." Rin rubbed her nose.

"Explain." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"When Kohaku was captured by Tseng, he was told that Sato had escaped that night. In clear denial - because we had both heard two gunshots by the blonde gang member - Kohaku demanded to be taken to the morgue. But the face he saw didn't resemble our friend Sato's. This leads me to believe that either a different Sato was killed or perhaps Sato belonged to Kyosodan and wanted to cut ties with them and he did manage to somehow escape that night or that he was a shapeshifter."

"I think all of the above are plausible." Sesshomaru added. Shapeshifters are known to revert to their original forms when they die but the fact that all these likely assumptions came from Rin piqued his interest.

Rin shrugged. "Maybe but I wonder if the morgue could shed some light on that."

Talking with a not-so-guarded Rin or seething-in-anger at him Rin was far more interesting than he had initially thought. He felt at ease around this version of Rin and was glad he had offered to help.

With everything going on with Kagura, the last thing on his mind was to take on another case but his mind drifted to his younger days when he had taken on cases pro-bono to help the disadvantaged. Days when his desire had simply been to help the helpless; a desire that had been squashed when Kagura had left him.

Sesshomaru ran his fingers through his hair; his gaze flew from the bright moon in the sky to Rin's slightly puffy eyes. Heck, he'd seen busier days, what was one more case that actually aroused his interest?

Sesshomaru faced the full moon and fermented for a moment on all Rin had revealed. There was no deception or trickery in the girl's eyes, and for someone who was so quiet and reserved, she was quite observant with sound deductive skills, and - for the first time - he found himself admiring that about her. Although, leaving her to her own methods to help her misguided friend was not something that settled well with him. Releasing a deep breath, Sesshomaru continued.

"Will you be going to the morgue with Kohaku?"

Rin shook her head. "Tseng's men watch over him like hawks. He can't leave his place without reporting to them directly first. I'll go myself."

Sesshomaru frowned. "He didn't seem to be followed tonight."

"No, he managed to sneak out of the casino undetected."

The Kyosodan never took their eyes off their prey. Sesshomaru mulled but kept his doubts to himself for now. Rin cared very much for Kohaku and while he was clearly intrigued by her, it was the challenge of the case that had him wanting to solve it even more.

Covering her mouth, Rin yawned deeply and rubbed her eyes.

Sesshomaru looked away casually.

"Do you want me to drop you at the estate?"

Jerking away from him slightly, Rin shook her head. "Don't worry about me, sir. I'll make my way back just fine."

Something about her trekking to the estate on foot didn't sit well with him.

"As my employee, you're safety is my concern." Sesshomaru got up and offered his hand. "We'll go together to save time."

"Eh?" The moment Rin placed her hand in his, her entire body was enveloped in warmth. Not a second later, the both of them were in her room.

"How did we get here so fast?" Rin gaped. The surprised look was something he had never seen before but the action made his breath hitch just slightly. Looking away casually, Sesshomaru dusted his cape.

"It's transformation magic. Only certain demons are capable of it."

"It's so cool!" Rin enthused and flashed him an ear to ear smile.

Sesshomaru shrugged. "I'll take on your case."

"B-but why? I never asked for it." The girl deadpanned.

Taken aback at her reaction, Sesshomaru scratched the back of his head. He'd gravely underestimated her. Given his impression of her, she would have risen up to the offer of accepting his help.

Using a different tact, Sesshomaru sniffed and gave her a sly look.

"I'm offering because no morgue will give you any information unless you're an officer of the law or family member of the deceased. Furthermore, you have no idea how dangerous this 'Tseng' fellow is. For all we know, he and his goons are waiting for you to go snooping around about Sato Onigumo so they could pounce on you and hold you captive for money. I assume Kohaku is the only one who's told you his side of the story?"

Rin nodded but her brows knit together.

"What if he made up a lie to get you into trouble for him? While you're busy helping him, he may connect the clues, find Sato, and hand you over to the Tseng instead."

At this point, Sesshomaru knew he was pushing his luck, and he was ready for anything.

"Are you saying that my friend is a liar?" Rin accused.

"We can't overlook that his life may be in peril as well. Tseng could have manipulated him to the point where he is no longer who he seems." Sesshomaru stated confidently.

Whatever warmth was in her eyes had faded and replaced with an ice cold fence. Rin folded her arms across her chest. "True but I trust Kohaku, and I know he is a good person. This is exactly why I don't want you to be involved in something that doesn't concern you."

"Once again whatever happens on my lands is fully my concern. If there's a villain going around making lives miserable for the residents of this valley, it's my right to investigate it and set things right."

Rin clenched her jaw tightly and breathed in deeply, immediately his eyes travelled to the fullness of her bodice, rising and falling in tandem with her breath. "I've been alone all this time. I'm sure I can handle this myself."

"Doesn't seem like you've had much luck on your own. I think you should appreciate the help."

Rin narrowed her eyes. "I still don't think it's a good idea for you to get involved."

"We'll just have to wait and find out then." Sesshomaru replied.

Silence followed. When Sesshomaru faced Rin, she was looking at him with a faraway look in her eyes as though she was weighing the pros and cons of his offer.

"Is there anything you need me to do? I would feel more comfortable if I can be of use somehow." She inquired. Quietly and purposefully.

Sesshomaru looked in the direction of the large disco lights on the horizon coming from the casino.

"For now, I need time to figure out how we'll be working together. My colleagues have some very good connections, but they are known to be cunning, so I need some time. Can I trust you to trust me?"

After a moment's hesitation, Rin nodded.

"We need to establish a meeting place to discuss this matter." Sesshomaru asserted.

"What about the library?" Rin suggested. "Master Jaken and the others are never there and neither is Lady Taisho. We can use one of the quiet rooms to reconvene."

Sesshomaru nodded in agreement.

"But when will we meet again? What can I do to help in the meantime?"

"We'll meet in the quiet room three days from now around noon and I'll let you know what I've learned. Can I count on you to share whatever new information you come across?"

Cocking one finely shaped brow, Rin seemed to study him hard before taking off her cape and placing it on the bed. "Sure."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow morning then, Rin. "

"Good night, sir."

Sesshomaru hopped out onto a nearby tree top and waited long minutes, making sure Rin was in bed and deep asleep before heading towards the Starlight Casino. At least now he had a name to watch out for when he was there.

"Sesshomaru?"

Expertly twirling his pen in his fingers, Sesshomaru sighed heavily. Placing his pen on the desk, he leaned back in his chair, and shut his eyes to gather his thoughts.

As expected of a controller from his firm, Naraku had a notable knack for details. However, something seemed off about these phantom bank withdrawals.

"The first transaction took place about a month ago and the same day every week after that." Sesshomaru read the report and ignored the disapproving look from his mother.

"Our daily withdrawal limit from this particular account $10,000. If the thief knows this, we can assume other information has also been leaked." Lady Inukimi stated.

Sesshomaru kept his gaze firm on the report. The bank's investigative team had tracked the funds to an obsolete account belonging to one late Sato Onigumo. The bank was able to trace the anomaly of how such an account was authorized to one of the operations managers at head office, and he was currently under investigation by the national police. Past that, the bank was unable to provide further information at this time.

"The bank's owner has personally apologized for the odd nature of this unprecedented event and has willingly reimbursed us."

A storm of immense proportions brewed behind Sesshomaru's shut lids as he delved into his thoughts. If there was one truth that Sesshomaru believed in more than anything, it was simply that everything happened for a reason.

As such, it was no coincidence that this Sato Onigumo's name had come up twice in less than two days by unrelated sources. First by Rin, and second in the form of a phantom bank account holder. This man was definitely a criminal mastermind.

"Weren't you and Kagura sharing this account when you were mated?"

"Yes." After the divorce, Kagura had fought long and hard to win over an alimony that would keep her sustained for the rest of her life and drain him of his earnings as long as he lived. With his background and cutthroat associates like Kouga and his half-brother by his side, there was little Kagura had squeezed out of him. Without batting a lash, he moved his portion of the funds into a private overseas account while Kagura took her half and left.

"Don't you think it's peculiar that she manages her way into your office the same time we find out about the bank withdrawals?"

Sesshomaru nodded. A bad feeling surfaced within him, and for a moment he wondered if there was a connection between Kagura and Sato Onigumo. He would be speculating and that wouldn't do any good. Evidence was vital, but first he needed to connect the dots.

"I will close the account and move the funds. There is little we can do now except save ourselves from being hit again. Plus, I have a meeting with Naraku later this afternoon so I need to prepare for that."

"Do you need anything from me?"

The tone in his mother's voice resembled that of an angel of death. In this case, he wanted Naraku alive and well. "No mother."

His mother nodded her approval and gathered the reports in a neat pile.

"How is Rin making out?" Lady Inukimi grabbed a random ledger and began flipping through it.

"She's not very technical." Sesshomaru had gone over Rin's report and easily found several common errors. What would have easily aggravated him in the past made him feel somewhat concerned for the girl. With her sordid past and hardships, she'd never had many opportunities.

"You just need to get used to working with her, koinu. Did I tell you she fixed my dress the other night? Oh! It fit on me like a second skin. Not to mention her knack for picking the right colors is just wonderful! I was the belle of the ball at the opera."

"Surely, it wasn't just the opera that had you seeing stars." Sesshomaru remarked, and his mother had the decency to blush. Clearly the lady had had a very good time.

"The caller was bearable." His mother shrugged impassively, and whatever giddiness she felt was hidden behind an unflappable facade. "Anyway, why don't you work with her and mentor her a bit? Rin works better one-on-one."

"At this rate, I have no choice. Especially if she'll go around rearranging the library on company time." Sesshomaru grumbled.

"Is that right?" Eyes wide like saucers in excitement, his mother's mood had changed like the wind. "It's about time that boring old place received a woman's touch."

"Mother, it's not what you think-"

"I'll hear nothing of it, Sesshomaru! The library is in dire need of a serious makeover." The deadset look on his mother's face was addling.

"You misunderstand-"

"Jaken!" She yelled over her shoulder. She had picked up her laptop and was about to head out, but the annoying toad demon appeared at her feet.

"My lady." He bowed, breathless from his quick run.

"Ready the Royce. The library's being reno'd, and we need to meet with the contractors. Bring Rin with you." The lady picked up her belongings and hurried out the conference room, leaving a trail of flying papers everywhere and the kappa at her heels.

Before he had a chance to explain that a change in decor was not the cause of his vexation, the lady had disappeared well out of his sight.

Setting his gaze on the pile of papers in front of him, he opened another draft letter and resumed his task of correcting Rin's mistakes. The girl had a good heart, but why she had to rearrange his books was beyond him.

For most of the morning, Rin kept mulling over the events of the previous night. The cold and arrogant Sesshomaru Taisho had offered to help her! The manner in which he offered resembled a command that he would act on whether she agreed to it or not but it was still nice of him.

What was nicer even still was the work he had left her to do in the morning. Something she was certain he wouldn't do especially after she blurted that she hated him and wished she hadn't met him. Couple that with being discovered by him last night had her feeling that she would definitely be released her employment but everything appeared to be the same if not somewhat better.

Maybe I was too quick to judge him. Rin thought.

Drafting letters for the firm's clients was a most welcome distraction from Sesshomaru's words of being careful around Kohaku. True they hadn't quite kept in touch over the past six months but she knew Kohaku was a good person and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her.

Leaving all her paperwork in the conference room for Sesshomaru's review, she rushed to the library to video chat with Kagome.

After leaving the firm, she hadn't had a chance to check her emails. When she had a moment today, she realized that Kagome had reached out to her a few times requesting a video chat. The conversation had started off light and friendly, and Rin felt no harm in confiding in Kagome what had happened with Kohaku and the chance meeting with Sesshomaru.

"... And now I'm here." Rin smiled half-heartedly, still not sure if she wanted Sesshomaru to be a part of this.

"So why are you so down then?"

"I'm not sure what's in it for him. What if this is an opportunity for him to humiliate me somehow? I'm always so confused and unsure around him."

Kagome broke out in giggles. "Oh Rin, you're so adorable. Listen, for now, just go with the flow. Sesshomaru has a lot of connections that he could use to help you. Sure, he's a cold hearted snob but he's offered to help you! Sesshomaru never helps - much less offers to help - anyone unless he thinks they're being genuine. Give him a chance, Rin. This may be your lucky break. You'll finally get to put the past to rest."

"I guess." Rin replied passively. Folding her arms on the table, she cradled her head in its folds.

"You know," Kagome began softly, "Sesshomaru helped me and Inuyasha through some of our tough times and never asked for anything in return. He's really great with helping others. Much of his cold and harsh personality happened as a result of his divorce, but something tells me he won't be cold for long."

Peeking through her folded arms, Rin narrowed her eyes at her peculiarly cheery friend. She had too many conflicting feelings about Sesshomaru as it was, and the last thing she wanted to think about was how warm she had felt last night.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Kagome squealed.

"Eh?"

"Did you guys do something naughty last night?"

"What! No!" Rin glared, but felt her cheeks heat further.

"Lies! I can tell something happened otherwise you wouldn't be blushing. Did you guys kiss?" Kagome was smiling far too brightly for her liking.

Rin continued to glare.

"Aw. What kind of friend are you if you won't even share some juicy details." Kagome looked away sheepishly.

"There are no juicy details. He scolded me for meeting with Kohaku in the night, I told him about my past and then he dropped me back at the estate. That's really all there is to it."

Kagome smiled then. "Hm, okay then. I just thought that maybe you guys made out or something."

Well he had almost kissed her when she was disguised but Rin decided not to share that detail. "I better put these books away. Lady Taisho and I have a hair appointment later today."

"Aw, you guys are like the most amiable mother-in-law and daughter-in-law combo I've ever seen."

Rin really wanted to strangle Kagome now. "Kagome! We're not in-laws. Heck, I don't even like Sesshomaru that way. Sure we had almost kissed but that was because he didn't know who I was. Sure he may be helping me, sure he looked super sexy in his outfit last night, sure I may have been checking him out but I can't even think of being that way with him!"

Kagome was gaping with wide open eyes. "You guys almost kissed?"

Rin wanted to pull out her hair. "That's because he didn't know who I was okay. Can you please stop obsessing over my nonexistent love life, please?"

Kagome smiled sheepishly but nodded regardless. "Okay. Okay. I'll stop. Come to think of it, I get along with Inuyasha's mother quite well and Lady Taisho has always been very kind to me."

From there Kagome went on to explain all sorts of random stuff that she and Inuyasha had planned for the rest of the week.

"I'm glad we got to chat." Rin admitted with a smile. Besides Kagome she didn't have any real friends she could talk with.

"Me, too. And we should definitely meet up sometime! Speaking of which," Kagome rustled through some papers on her desk, "I have some tickets to a hot spring for next weekend, did you want to come? It'll be so much fun!"

"Totally! But-"

"Don't worry, Lady Taisho is coming too! It'll be a girl's night out."

"Sounds awesome." Rin enthused.

"Yay! I wish I could hug you! But since I can't, I'll just give you a virtual hug." Kagome leaned forward to hug the computer screen.

The silly gesture warmed Rin's heart.

After the call disconnected, Rin busied herself with a pile of books lying on the large tables and began organizing them to avoid letting her mind wander to Sesshomaru or Kohaku. Many of them were dusty, so she took the end of her large sweater and wiped them clean before placing them back on the shelf. By the looks of it, they had been ignored for a good long while.

Pity, she mused. To have so many books, only to ignore them.

The meticulous task kept her hands busy and she refocused her thoughts on Sato Onigumo. He had been declared a dead man, but how was it that his body had not been his?

She had a suspicion he was an ex-member of the Kyosodan. Perhaps he was kicked out because he didn't get along with the others? Perhaps Tseng owed another boss some money, and Sato had been working for him? Perhaps Tseng and Sato were in this together, but they hadn't counted on Rin and Kohaku being present during the heist and they were out to get them! There were too many possibilities and not enough evidence.

Rin gasped and a book fell out of her hand. The three others in the crook of her arm also followed in tow with their companion to the marble floor.

I can't sit around waiting for Sesshomaru. A three day wait is just too long.

The morgue was just a half hour's drive out of the gated community and she had no plans for tonight...

Master Jaken's voice echoed through the halls as he called her name. Putting the rest of the books away, Rin strode towards the hallway.

"Get dressed." Master Jaken informed her breathlessly. "Contractors. Library. Getting. Reno... vations..."

"I simply love this color, Rin. Don't you agree?"

With a meek smile, Rin studied herself in the bright fuchsia gown with gold trimmings and matching gold pumps. Overdressed was an understatement. Pink was not a color she was fond of. However, because Lady Inukimi was fussing over the fact that Rin only wore boring, drab colors, she had conceded.

According to Master Jaken, they were meeting with contractors to renovate the library. To her surprise, they were now in a private boutique getting fitted for evening gowns instead. Master Jaken was nowhere in sight and Mara was standing quietly in the corner holding a tray of champagne in one hand. Her other arm was folded neatly behind her back.

When their gazes briefly met, Mara suppressed a giggle. Rin frowned slightly.

"Hai, Inukimi-sama. The gown is beautiful, but why do I have to wear it?" Rin asked as the seamstress lifted her arms to shoulder length and continued taking more measurements.

"Well, because you'll be the star attraction of the night! My friends are dying to meet you! They're all such lovely people, really. You'll have a great time." The lady smiled brightly as an equally fashionable clerk, rivalling the lady in physique, clothes and shoes, brought three more gowns to show off.

"Star attraction?" Rin dreaded the direction of this topic.

"Oh, it's just a midsummer's party. Couple of beers, pizza and yummy gossip. You won't regret it! Well, then?" Lady Inukimi walked to her side, wearing a lovely dark green gown. "What's the verdict?"

Rin groaned.

"Whining won't get you out of this one, Rin." The lady intoned while showing particular affection for a midnight blue gown. "Besides, my friends are just old women with way too much time on their hands. And, you needn't worry a bit! Sesshomaru will be there keeping you company."

Rin visibly blanched to the point where the seamstress asked if she was alright.

"Sesshomaru will keep me company?" Rin said worriedly with a tinge of fear.

The lady innocently held her face in both her hands. "I tend to get a bit carried away when I'm in a crowd, but I've told Sesshomaru to take care of you. So, don't fret, you'll be completely safe."

Swallowing thickly, Rin nodded in response. Spending an evening with him was the last thing on her mind.

"Excuse me, ma'am. These shoes are your size."

The lady shooed the clerk away. "NO! No. I want the black ones."

"I'll come." Rin affirmed, attempting to salvage the situation. "But only if I pick the gown of my choosing."

The lady's face shone brightly in her direction and she clapped gleefully. "How lovely! You-" She pointed to the seamstress who froze on the spot. "Give the girl her choice of gowns as long as they're pink."

The old lady gave a curt nod and hooked her thumb in the direction of a hallway that looked like a nightmare lined with hundreds of gowns in all shades of pink, but Rin was too busy sulking to care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you have it my lovelies - the change in the storyline! Rin's identity is no longer a secret! Well she does have a sketchy background and you'll read about that in future chapters!

*kisses*


End file.
